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Navigating New York

Headed to the Big Apple for ICFF and hoping that the city’s bright lights will inspire you? Make the most of your stay by checking out (or in the case of the dreamy Playland Motel, checking into) these NYC hot spots during the fair.

Site Unseen Offsite

Previously billed as the NoHo Design District, a curated series of events and installations in New York’s NoHo neighborhood, Site Unseen Offsite will launch May 16, run through the 20th, and bring the formerly sprawling event into one space for the first time. Helmed by online magazine Sight Unseen, this satellite design exhibition will feature works by the publication’s chosen emerging design talents, established cutting-edge design brands, a series of pop-up shops, a showcase by the American Design Club, and more, all within two floors of raw space in a 17,000-squre-foot loft. 200 Lafayette St.

Playland Motel

This early 19th Century building, located in Rockaway Beach (just a quick ferry, bus, or train ride from Brooklyn), was restored using reclaimed Virginian barn wood and local reclaimed church materials. Playland asked 12 prominent designers and artists to bring their individual aesthetic to the guest rooms, and each season, inspiring artists and designers will be given the opportunity to work on a room for the upcoming months. “If I had to pick my favorite, it would be Fede Saenz Cactus Room,” says hotel founder Robin Scott. “His creation is a calm experience, super comfortable, and it has amazing views of the ocean.” 97-20 Rockaway Blvd.

Please Don't Tell

“Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder, and I’m not going to brag about my own bar,” says Jim Meehan, famed bartender and managing partner at Please Don’t Tell, an East Village speakeasy accessed by a phone booth in the adjoining hotdog joint, Crif Dogs. “But I’m bold enough to say that I’m proud of what we serve and how we do it.” Opened in May of 2007, PDT offers up classic cocktails with an unusual twist as well as local beers and wines. The no-standing-allowed room features only 13 bar stools and six tables, so we recommend making your reservation early. 113 St. Marks Pl.

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Design Bureau delivers honest and inspirational global dialogue on design from diverse disciplines and points of view. It gathers people like you—creative professionals, style arbiters and industry leaders—and connects you with a like-minded community of design enthusiasts across the world with one common idea: discovering great design and the people who make it happen. Published in Chicago by ALARM Press.

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Each issue of DB is packed with stories on architecture, interior design, photography, technology, graphic design and fashion, and delivers it through engaging interviews, features and lifestyle coverage in a variety of hip departments. We celebrate the exciting unpredictability of multidimensionality.